1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an electrical connector, and more particularly, to an electrical connector composed of a connector main unit and a housing, the connector main unit having terminals extending in either substantially a straight line or at substantially a right angle from a substantially box-like resin mold, the housing being substantially box-like, at least a bottom surface of the housing having an opening for the purpose of mounting the connector main unit and at least one of two opposed side walls of the housing being divided into essentially two opposed side wall portions defining a seam line therebetween, the housing being made of a conductive metal material having the function of a shield, the connector main unit fitting inside the housing so as to be covered and shielded by the housing.
2. Description of the Related Art
Although a variety of structures are used as electrical connectors, one common structure is a so-called straight type connector, which consists of a connector main unit and a housing, with the connector main unit having terminals extending in substantially a straight line from a substantially box-like resin mold and the housing being substantially box-like. At least a bottom of the housing has an opening for the purpose of mounting the connector main unit and at least one of two opposed side walls of the housing is divided along a seam line formed on the side wall, the housing being made of a conductive metal material which functions as a shield. The connector main unit fits inside the housing so as to be shielded and covered by the housing. In a straight type connector as described above, the terminals of the mounted connector main unit project from an opening in the bottom of the housing.
Additionally, another common connector main unit-plus-housing structure is the so-called right-angle type connector, in which the terminals of the connector main unit are bent at substantially a right angle and extend from a substantially box-like resin mold, with the housing being substantially box-like. The bottom of the housing and one side wall of the housing adjacent to the bottom are open for the purpose of mounting the connector main unit. The open side wall and another side wall opposite the open side wall are divided into two parts by a seam line formed thereon. The housing is made of a conductive metal material which functions as a shield. The connector main unit fits inside the housing so as to be shielded and covered by the housing. In a right-angle type connector as described above, the terminals of the connector main unit are mounted so as to project from the side wall opening of the housing.
It should be noted that both the straight type connector and the right-angle type connector are two-piece connectors, in which the housing consists of two opposed sides joined together so as to form a seam line.
A description will now be given of the structure of the conventional two-piece straight type connector, with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view from an open bottom side of the conventional connector, in a state in which the connector main unit has been assembled, that is, mounted in the housing. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the housing from an open bottom side of the conventional connector.
As shown in FIG. 1, the connector main unit 2 of the two-piece connector 1 is composed of a plurality of terminals 3, or contacts, and a box-like resin mold 4 formed from insulating, that is, non-conductive, resin material. One projection 5a is formed at substantially a central position of the box-like resin mold 4 and a separate rectangular projection 5b is formed on an edge portion of the box-like resin mold 4. Identical projections are formed on a side, not shown in FIG. 1, which is opposite the side on which the projections 5a and 5b are formed.
Similarly, the housing 7 is formed into a box-like shape, and is open at a bottom side surface so as to accommodate a connector main unit 2. It should be noted that an opening, not shown in the drawing, is also formed in a center portion of a top side, opposite the open bottom side in order to make it possible to connect the connector to other connectors.
A slot 8 is formed in each of two opposed side surfaces of the housing 7 continuous with the bottom side surface opening therein, with a hole 9 formed in a center portion of each of the two opposed side surfaces.
The connector main unit 2 is inserted in the housing 7 through the opening, the projection 5b engaging the slot 8, the projection 5a engaging the hole 9 and the connector main unit 2 thereby being mounted in the housing 7 to form a single integrated connector 1.
A more detailed description will now be given of the housing 7 and the conventional method by which it is typically formed.
The housing 7 is cut from a single sheet of conductive metal material and then folded so as to assume the substantially box-like form described above. In that state, each of the two opposed sides of the housing 7 described above are formed so as to extend into two sets of extended side portions 7a, 7c and 7b, 7d, the extended side portions bent at substantially a right angle with respect to the two opposed sides, side portions 7a and 7b and side portions 7c and 7d almost contacting each other and forming a seam line P dividing the housing into two opposed sides as shown in FIG. 2.
When the housing 7 is in the process of being bent into a box-like form the half containing side portions 7a, 7c is slightly separated from the half containing side portions 7b, 7d, as shown in FIG. 2. In order to securely join these two opposed sides of the housing a tab portion 6a is formed on the half containing side portions 7a, 7c and a slit portion 6b that accommodates the tab portion 6a is formed in the other half containing side portions 7b, 7d. The tab portion 6a is inserted in the slit portion 6b and this engaged portion is stamped or crimped shut so that the seam line P is fixed and does not open, thus forming the completed housing 7 shown in FIG. 2.
After the housing 7 of the conventional two-piece shielded connector 1 described above is stamped so as not to open along the seam line P but before the connector main unit 2 is inserted and mounted in the housing 7, the housing 7 is immersed in a rotary container containing a plating solution and a plating is formed on the surface of the housing 7.
However, the housing 7, which has been crimped closed, sometimes re-opens during this plating process. Additionally, during shipping and handling of the connector 1, the housing 7 sometimes also re-opens along the seam line P after the connector main unit 2 has been inserted and mounted therein.
Once the housing 7 of the connector 1 has broken open along the seam line P as described above it is not always easy to re-close the housing 7, and in any case doing so constitutes an additional production step that adds time and cost to the production process.
Moreover, the very step of stamping or crimping the housing 7 closed is itself troublesome, and adds time and cost to the production process.